There is Amazing Collaboration in This County

By Linda Metz

I am a retired senior public health nurse still working with juveniles, so I offered to help the COVID-19 team. The public health officer asked me to join the Schools/Childcare/Camp Team in June 2020, and I’ve been working there ever since.

Since joining the Schools team, “collaboration” has been a fantastic process that I have witnessed this year. It started with the Marin County Office of Education and the Marin County Public Health Office. When I joined the team, the two organizations had already been working together to close schools, open special education programs, and finally develop a 30-point plan for schools to reopen in September 2020. There was a common goal — get as many students back in the classroom as safely and quickly as possible.

Then the Schools became involved and worked on the 30-point plan for reopening with their task forces for each campus in Marin. Private and public schools were all working on developing guidance for their campus to ensure a safe return to school. Staggered arrivals, departures, recess, moving furniture around to allow for a six-foot distance, procuring supplies for cleaning and protection, removing extra items from classrooms, and adding air filters for proper circulation. Each campus also named two public health liaisons to work with MCOE and Schools team for guidance and policy when a positive case appeared at school. The Marin HHS Schools team worked with the task force from each school to ensure their safety plan incorporated the most recent guidance from CDC, CDPH, and Marin County PHO. All safety plans were reviewed by the Schools team and approved by Dr. Matt Willis.

Then in September, classrooms opened to in-person learning; scenarios of positive cases and close contacts of positive instances started. The public health liaisons worked with the Marin HHS Schools team to determine times of isolation and quarantine and who needed to be tested. Every day, new lessons were learned, and guidance changed weekly as tier levels changed and restrictions were added or released. Sports became involved, and the athletic trainers began collaborating with Marin HHS and the Schools team.

In March, most schools in Marin are open for in-person learning. Since September, only 11 in-school transmissions and less than 200 cases have occurred. Through all of this, the collaboration continues and the non-stop work at changing guidelines and policies to ensure safe schools and safe sports in the schools continues. We aren’t done — BUT— we will prevail due to the fantastic collaboration in this county on all levels.

Personal Reflections

By Nora Hirschler, MD

I returned to my office today and saw the piles and piles of notes I took while working as a bilingual contact tracer. I started reading some of my notes and remembered Margarita, Leonidas, and many more. Many had children, and some worked in the local restaurants where I had previously been. Some work in the supermarket where we do our shopping. Some of them were here, ensuring that our gardens look lovely. Perhaps I had never noticed them. And now, I am talking to them, and they are telling me their worries.

They are talking about a father or a mother who is far away and has died of COVID-19. They are telling me they need to work because they cannot pay their rent and will be evicted if they do not get paid. I provided as much help as I could. I offered them the food and supplies that Marin County offered. I told them about rent support and any other service we could provide. I was grateful that Marin County understood many of the problems and offered some support to contain the epidemic.

I found the people I talked to very thankful for our phone calls. They always tended to be a bit reserved at the beginning, but generally, they were easy to talk with. I used simple conversational techniques to gain their trust, like complimenting them on the lovely names of their kids, offering help with food, and explaining that I understood their issues. By the end of our conversation, we were chatting like friends, and I felt that I had gained their trust.

Many cases warmed my heart with their problems and made me feel guilty for having a comfortable life. I developed a tremendous appreciation for their fight to gain a better livelihood and escape the terrible situation in the countries where they used to live.

They came to this country looking for a better life while escaping gangs and depressing lives in their countries. After all, my great-grandparents left Russia/Ukraine for Argentina to escape persecution and look for better opportunities in their lives. President Biden said recently, “Unaccompanied children come to this country, not because I am a good person, but because their mothers send them, even if the journey is dangerous, hoping that they can get a better life in this country.” Those are the people I interacted with.

I Cried for the First Time

By Rachel Lanoza

When I was doing case investigation (CI) calls, I was three weeks new to CI. I saw an 86-year-old case in the queue. I initially hesitated as I knew people at that age typically weren’t responding well to COVID-19. I paused for a few minutes and decided to take the case. It was my new job. I called the number, and her daughter answered, she was mean and rude, and I sensed she was angry. She said, “My mother can’t talk right now, she’s at the hospital in ICU, and I get hourly updates if she’s going to make it or not.”

My heart dropped, and I immediately felt her pain as I also have an elderly mother. I told her I was sorry and that I felt her pain as I also have an elderly mother and can’t even understand how she must be feeling, but I know it’s complicated. After that, she opened up and changed her whole demeanor. She was friendly and polite. We talked about her situation, and she said she also tested positive. At that moment, I realized how real COVID-19 was and how it’s tearing families apart. After our call ended, I cried for the first time and realized how VERY REAL COVID is!

Community Partners

Community and Faith-based organizations were essential in helping Marin Public Health deliver critical services and support as communities across the county cope with the pandemic.

COVID-19 will continue to disrupt our lives for the foreseeable future. For those that rely on social services, these organizations will play an essential role in providing critical services and support, allowing them to adjust to the COVID-19 era.

Marin’s Department of Health and Human Services would like to thank the Marin County COVID-19 Community Advisory Board and the following organizations for their ongoing assistance in helping to keep our community safe.

The following organizations are a representative sample of some of our outstanding partnerships.

Community Organizations

Agricultural Institute of Marin

Bay Area Community Resources

Bolinas Food Pantry

Bridge the Gap

Buck Institute

Canal Alliance

Catholic Charities

Center for Domestic Peace

Community Action Marin

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

Dance Palace

Dominican University

Downtown Streets Team

EAH Housing

First Responder Therapy Dogs

Golden Gate Bridge Transportation District

Homeward Bound

Human Good-San Rafael Rotary Manor

Iglesia de Dios Neopentecostes

Integrated Community Services

Inverness Disaster Council

Marin Asian Advocacy Project

Marin Center for Independent Living

Marin Childcare Council

Marin County Fire

Marin Community Foundation

Marin County Office of Education

Marin County Cooperation Team

Marin Interfaith Council

Marin Medical Reserve Corps

Marin Volunteers Organized Against Disaster (VOAD)

Maskateers

Multicultural Center of Marin

North Marin Community Services

Novato Food Pantry

Parent Services Project

Performing Stars

Play Marin

Point Reyes Station Food Pantry

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

San Geronimo Food Pantry

San Geronimo Valley Community Center

Solidaridad Guatemalteca

Spahr Center

Tomales Food Pantry

U.C. Cooperative Extension Marin

University of California San Francisco

Vivalon

West Marin Community Services

West Marin Senior Services

Westminster Presbyterian Church YMCA

FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Cornerstone Community Church of God in Christ

First Missionary Baptist Church

Presbyterian Church Novato

Sacred Heart Church

San Geronimo Community Presbyterian Church

MarinHealth Medical Center

Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church

St. Raphael Church

St. Vincent de Paul Society

The Salvation Army

The Street Chaplaincy at First Presbyterian Church

Hospitals

Sutter Novato Community Hospital

Kaiser San Rafael

Federally Qualified Health Centers

Marin Community Clinic

Marin City Health and Wellness Center

Ritter Center

Petaluma Health Center in West Marin